Politics

Indian Army arrests 11 tribal guerillas in Assam

Chirang, Jan 20 (ANI): Indian Army arrested 11 militants of banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Assam and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession. Militants were apprehended on specific intelligence inputs from the Panbari forest area of Chirang district. Two pistols, two improvised explosive devices (IED) and nine detonators among other arms and ammunition were recovered from the rebels. NDFB is fighting for a separate homeland for indigenous Bodo tribesmen claiming that the tea-growing state has been flooded with outsiders. India has intensified army operations to hunt down tribal militants in Assam after rebels killed at least 80 people last December, the deadliest in the remote area in years.

Jan 20, 2015

Police arrest 14 people suspected of communal violence in Muzaffarpur

Muzaffarpur, Jan 20 (ANI): Police arrested 14 people suspected of communal violence in Bihar that claimed three lives and charred several houses after body of a missing boy was discovered, said a senior officer. Angry mob rushed and set houses on fire in a village of Muzaffarpur district after the body of a Hindu boy, who was friendly with a Muslim girl, was discovered from an agricultural field. Additional Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey said a large number of police personnel had been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident and situation was peaceful. The state government has announced rebuilding of torched houses in the arson and compensation for the damage to properties.

Jan 20, 2015

BJP announces Kiran Bedi's name as chief ministerial candidate for Delhi polls

New Delhi, Jan 20 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced former IPS Officer and anti-graft activist Kiran Bedi as its chief ministerial candidate for Delhi assembly polls. The announcement was made by BJP Chief Amit Shah at party's headquarters. She will contest from the Krishna Nagar seat. The BJP also released the names of 61 other candidates who will contest the elections. Former student leader Nupur Sharma will contest against AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat. Senior leader Jagdish Mukhi will contest from the Janakpuri seat, while former Delhi BJP Chief Vijendra Gupta will contest from Rohini. However, BJP Delhi unit Chief Satish Upadhyay will not contest the elections.

Jan 20, 2015

PM Modi meets German finance minister to boost bilateral ties

New Delhi, Jan 20 (ANI): Prime Minster Narendra Modi met German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schuble, who is on a two-day India visit, to enhance bilateral economic relations. The meeting was described as a courtesy call by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Earlier in the day, Schuble, at a meeting with businessmen at Confederation of India (CII) expressed keen interest in working with India on the manufacturing sector, especially in the auto and solar energy industries. Schuble's announcement of the German manufacturing industry's readiness to participate in Modi's 'Make in India' policy comes after US Secretary of State John Kerry brought up worries of the Obama administration over the initiative. The German Finance Minister is scheduled to hold talks with Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday.

Jan 20, 2015

PM Narendra Modi reviews national action plan on climate change

New Delhi, Jan 20 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the first meeting of the reconstituted high-level climate panel to review the national action plan on climate change. According to official statement, Modi said that instead of focusing on emissions and cuts alone, focus should shift on what we have done for clean energy generation, energy conservation and energy efficiency, and what more can be done in these areas. Modi called for a paradigm shift in global attitudes towards climate change, from "carbon credit", towards "green credit." He also emphasised for a careful evaluation of all the initiatives that have been taken by India in field of solar energy, wind energy, biomass energy, and transportation projects that have reduced distances or travel times.

Jan 20, 2015

Delhi Elections 2015: Battle Lines Drawn, Bedi to Take on Kejriwal, Announce BJP

BJP president Amit Shah makes it official that Kiran Bedi will be their chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Delhi Elections.

Jan 20, 2015

Communal harmony flourishes as a Muslim builds Hindu temples for devotees

Kerala, Jan 20 (ANI): Tolerance and acceptance of differences, especially religious differences, is a characteristic of the Indian society. And over centuries individuals and institutions have contributed in their own special way to keep this legacy alive. One such example comes from India's southern state of Kerala. Here in Kozhikode region, a Muslim, Ibrahim, has built many temples for Hindus, reflecting respect for there religion. The initiative by Ibrahim has not only maintained amity and prosperity between two religions of the region but has also assisted in developing respect for him. Instances like these bring to the forefront the enduring spirit of communal harmony prevalent between different communities in India.

Jan 20, 2015

Interfaith harmony unites people in West Bengal

West Bengal, Jan 20 (ANI): Purulia city, located in eastern India's state of West Bengal, is known for communal harmony that exists between people of various faiths. The people of the district, without any religious bias, work together to earn livelihood for themselves and to improve their standard of living by providing helping hand to each other. A similar example is witnessed in a group of electricians of the village, comprising both Hindus and Muslims, who work together to electrify their city. Although sharing different beliefs, workers here do not discriminate each other on religious lines. Apart from their work, the group also participates in each others religious festivals and special occasions. The brotherhood and amity seen among the group reflects the age-old ethos of the country for which it is known in the world.

Jan 20, 2015

Egypt's Sisi urges Muslim fight on terrorism

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday said the fight against "terrorism" needs a new Muslim religious discourse in addition to security and military measures. Duration: 00:51

Jan 19, 2015

Palestinian islamists burn French flag in a protest in Gaza City

Palestinian radical islamists took part on Monday in a protest against a satirical cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed by French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo outside the French Cultural Centre in Gaza City. Duration: 01:09

Jan 19, 2015

Guinea reopens schools as Ebola fears settle

Guinea becomes the first of the worst-hit countries to reopen schools in the wake of the Ebola crisis, but many students and teachers stay away. Duration: 01:21

Jan 19, 2015

R K Laxman continues to be critical, suffers urinal infection

Pune, Jan 19 (ANI): Legendary cartoonist R K Laxman continued to be in a critical state after his health deteriorated on Saturday evening. He is currently on a life support system. Laxman, who is suffering from urinal infection, is admitted under the intensive care unit of 'Deenanath Mangeshkar' hospital in Pune. His daughter Usha Laxman said she hoped her father would recuperate soon. The cartoonist has suffered from several paralytic attacks in the past. The legend, 94, became known for his 'Common Man' cartoons which used to appear in the nation's best selling newspaper "The Times of India".

Jan 19, 2015